It has become something common in the video game industry: you insert the disc into the console, and immediately you have to download a Day One patch with all the improvements that developers have created between production and launch and that – oh surprise – is vital to avoid severe bugs or even to be able to play it. What was initially a rarity has eventually become something common that practically everyone, perhaps with the exception of Nintendo, uses as a trick to release the game earlier. And there are those who have said “enough is enough.”
Neither patches nor passion fruits
In this case, it has been Colin Anderson, a former developer of GTA, who seems to miss the San Andreas era (whose release is now 20 years old), when everything was much simpler. This is how he expressed himself on X (formerly Twitter): “As a developer, I miss the discipline of knowing there was no way to ‘fix’ a game once it had been manufactured. Today’s Day Zero Patch mentality supports poor development and provides a worse customer experience.”
And indeed, he is not wrong. In fact, he is right to compare it with another industry: “It started with ‘We’ll fix it in the mix’ in music, continued with ‘We’ll fix it in post’ in film’ and finally came ‘We’ll fix it in a patch’ in games.” However, it doesn’t seem like these patches are going anywhere, and it would be strange if GTA VI didn’t come with a gigantic one included. The times are a’changing.
